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**Anthrop** · 06-23-2012, 10:52 PM

How long was it left to ferment? Was the gravity steady for a few days before bottling? 4 points high is no big deal IMO. Let it age awhile, I had a cream ale that was awful at bottle time, and now is fantastic about a month later and its still improving! In general I've found giving it a month or so to bottle condition significantly improves it, unless you made a mistake during bottling or a fundamental mistake on brew day. Worst case it doesn't improve, but at least you wont risk ruining what could be a good beer.

johnbrain · 06-24-2012, 03:44 PM

It was in primary for 3 weeks. I didn't take gravity samples over a few days because at 2.5 gallons getting a sample is a pain. But I'm confident it was done. my red I just bottled was off by about .002 so I'm going to test my hydrometer today actually.

I'll wait it out. I just recall my first batch, even the sample tasted great albeit green.

Thanks for everyone's advice. I just want every batch to be good after all the work it takes. My tripel was horrible after primary. It's been in secondary almost a month and even the smell seems awesome compared to one month. I'll bottle that next week and hide it for a few months.

homebrewdad · 06-24-2012, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tnsen

Exactly why I never tase my beer b4 its time...aka 8 weeks from brew date....too much to worry about

This is such superb advice. We get thread after thread every week with people stressing over the off flavors in beer that the fully admit isn't even close to being ready. Leave the beer alone for at least three weeks! If it's bad then... leave it alone for a while longer.

If it's still bad, THEN start worrying about what you did wrong. Pouring beers into a secondary to let them age pretty much guarantee two cases of liquid cardboard.

Also, OP - missing your FG by .004 is essentially the same as hitting it on the nose, provided the gravity is stable. You aren't building something using fixed-size blocks; you are dealing with an organic, inherently variable process driven by living organisms. .004 means nothing is wrong.

***Yooper*** · 06-24-2012, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tnsen

Exactly why I never tase my beer b4 its time...aka 8 weeks from brew date....too much to worry about

Wow- my beers are almost always gone by the time they are 8 weeks old. I'd never be able to do that!

johnbrain · 06-24-2012, 05:45 PM

My concern was in the context that none of my other batches have had such an off flavor/aroma even right out of primary. I'd never expect a mature beer but this was so robust i felt it necessary to inquire.

@yooper +1. I'm ask about instant gratification. Perhaps brewing isn't for me. Recently I've had no beer to share with guests because i wind up drinking everything i brew + i split any batch with my friend when we brew together.

P.s. Thanks for the quote about bring off by .004 on gravity bring essentially on the nose. Still learning the subtlety of brewing.

estricklin · 06-24-2012, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yooper

Wow- my beers are almost always gone by the time they are 8 weeks old. I'd never be able to do that!

Same here.

***Yooper*** · 06-24-2012, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnbrain

My concern was in the context that none of my other batches have had such an off flavor/aroma even right out of primary. I'd never expect a mature beer but this was so robust i felt it necessary to inquire.

@yooper +1. I'm ask about instant gratification. Perhaps brewing isn't for me. Recently I've had no beer to share with guests because i wind up drinking everything i brew + i split any batch with my friend when we brew together.

P.s. Thanks for the quote about bring off by .004 on gravity bring essentially on the nose. Still learning the subtlety of brewing.

Well, I'm a strong believer that a well-made beer of a relatively low ABV doesn't need a ton of time to be ready and good, and in fact may be at its peak by week 4-6. But the key is "well made beer".

Even aging will not fix a bad beer, and most beers should taste really good coming out of primary. They may be a little rough until they are carbed up, of course, but even out of primary the beer should taste like young flat beer. If there are off-flavors, sometimes those may age out. Most don't, though.

"Rubbery" usually is caused by phenols. Sometimes that's due to infection, or sometimes chlorine (or chloramines) in the brewing water. A higher fermentation temperature can exacerbate that off-flavor. Phenols don't usually age out, but they may fade enough for the beer to be somewhat drinkable with some time.

Gear101 · 06-24-2012, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yooper

Well, I'm a strong believer that a well-made beer of a relatively low ABV doesn't need a ton of time to be ready and good, and in fact may be at its peak by week 4-6. But the key is "well made beer".

After a couple years, I am really starting to believe 4 to 6% is were to brew at.

That is all I really brew anymore.

johnbrain · 06-25-2012, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yooper

most beers should taste really good coming out of primary. They may be a little rough until they are carbed up, of course, but even out of primary the beer should taste like young flat beer. If there are off-flavors, sometimes those may age out. Most don't, though.

"Rubbery" usually is caused by phenols. Sometimes that's due to infection, or sometimes chlorine (or chloramines) in the brewing water. A higher fermentation temperature can exacerbate that off-flavor. Phenols don't usually age out, but they may fade enough for the beer to be somewhat drinkable with some time.

I'm think it might be chlorine or chloramines. I used my high Ph tap water and left it out over night. Same thing I did first batch. Fermentation temp never got to high. Maybe because it's such a small batch those effects we exacerbated?

I agree this beer should have just tasted like young flat beer out of the primary. I'll see if it cleans up but I suspect something went wrong somewhere. I don't think it's an infection though. Moving forward I'll use bottled water, which I do for all my other home brew

johnbrain · 06-25-2012, 03:03 PM

F#ck it. I'll brew another batch with bottled water. When I go to bottle, if this current batch still sucks I'll dump it. I want to have the stout for a tasting party.